Help! Fish unhappy in new 55 gallon tank!!!!

[Tim Wheatley]

This levels are my new tank, unfortunately, my old tank nitrate levels are high, medium pink (60-80) and not sure they can go back? Now object now test strips left, can't get to a pet store till Saturday

Do a 50% water change and test again.

 

[chimbica]

Since old tank is pretty much toxic and bad shape now, I took old gravel and their bubble machine( fountain pump) and put it in new tank, already noticing difference, they are moving around! Can I continue letting them stay in this tank since the ph test levels are so good

 

[Tim Wheatley]

You can try. I would also put the old filter to work on the new tank, too. Don't remove your new filter, just make this one run on the tank also. Even a small amount of good bacteria would help.

 

[itsgracia]

Did you say the old tank has high nitrates? That can be fixed by some PWCs.

I won't recommend keeping the fishes in the new tank because it will be a lot of work for you. If you keep them in the new tank, it means that you have to do a daily PWC or even multliple PWCs daily to keep the Ammonia and nitrIte levels below 0.25. If you put the fish back in the old tank, and then do a fishless cycle in your new tank, you dont have to do PWCs until the cycle is done and you are ready to add fish.

Seeding your new tank with gravel from old tank and running the old filter with the new will make the cycling go faster (assuming the old tank is still up and running).

 

[El_diablo]

I'd say to persevere with ur new tank now as ur old tanks bacteria is probably dead now keep doing daily PWC's and keep ur fingers crossed ur fish pull thru it all oh and keep testing ur water, good luck with it all I hope ur fish pull thru

 

[El_diablo]

I agree with tim put ur old filter in the new tank as well with some old gravel, jus my opinion

 

[chimbica]

Using old filter and gravel and ornaments in new tank so can't have them in old tank at same time, so for now they are in new tank, all my nitrates and nitrites in new tank are 0 , should I do a PWC change now or wait a couple of hours?

 

[chimbica]

Thanks tim and el diablo, and everyone else!! You guys have been so helpful, I'm very new to fish, so I needed this! I think they should pull through, they are pretty tough, recently i learned I was doing it all wrong, I was doing complete water changes, new filters, washing ornaments and gravel completely and washing out entire aquarium every month, and they still made it....sobthey are tough guys!

 

[El_diablo]

No probs m8 hope it all works out for u =D

 

[Tim Wheatley]

Using old filter and gravel and ornaments in new tank so can't have them in old tank at same time, so for now they are in new tank, all my nitrates and nitrites in new tank are 0 , should I do a PWC change now or wait a couple of hours?

Just keep looking at the levels and do water changes whenever they get close to dangerous levels. Best of luck.

 

[ChelseaLake]

Yes I used water conditioner

Haha, okay, just thought I would ask. It's always hard to gauge where somebody's at as far as knowledge. Some people have no clue that their tap water contains BLEACH! Like...everyone around here (boondocks).

 

[chimbica]

Hey everybody! Here is an update, now I have the old filter, gravel, fountain pump running in the new tank for about 8hrs now, turned the light off(read it might help) ...they seemed to need more oxygen so I added another fountain pump... Have no test kits left, can't get any till Saturday maybe, haven't done a PWC yet cause everywhere I read says different thing, apparenty anything about 15-20% is dangerous, so not sure if I should just wait it out, also worried about ammonia levels, don't know how to tell with out strips, right now it does seem to be a bacterial bloom....

 

[itsgracia]

PWC will not hurt anything. It will help lower Ammonia, Nitrites, and Nitrates though.

Just a suggestion, pass on the strip and get a liquid test like API freshwater master test kit. The liquid is more accurate and will last you longer than the strips.

 

[TraceyB4602]

Until you get the test kit, I would advise at least 50% PWC a day. Water changes will do nothing but make your water cleaner and bring down all your levels ( which is a good thing) Where ever you heard that it would be a bad thing was false. Keep them up till you get the kit to ensure your fishies are safe and un-stressed.

Sent from my iPhone using Aquarium

 

[chimbica]

UPDATE!! so tank is much better!! Bit mow my moor is looking different!!! What is this? It looks almost fuzzy!!!thanks!!!

 

[Tim Wheatley]

Hey everybody! Here is an update, now I have the old filter, gravel, fountain pump running in the new tank for about 8hrs now, turned the light off(read it might help) ...they seemed to need more oxygen so I added another fountain pump... Have no test kits left, can't get any till Saturday maybe, haven't done a PWC yet cause everywhere I read says different thing, apparenty anything about 15-20% is dangerous, so not sure if I should just wait it out, also worried about ammonia levels, don't know how to tell with out strips, right now it does seem to be a bacterial bloom....

I missed your reply here. I just wanted to confirm what people are saying above. I change 50% per week on my tanks. It isn't dangerous if you use water conditioner.

 

[chimbica]

Did u see my post with pics about fizzy stuff on my moor goldfish?

 

[ejaramillo01]

Unfortunately looks to me that they are sick as a result of the poor water quality and stress, but I'm not good diagnosing what type of sick could be.

 

[Meagan.Marie]

it doesnt look like ich looks more fungal. I would suggest researching treatments and going to walmart or something asap and getting meds... it looks pretty bad.

 

[chimbica]

Columnaris I think, I got tetra lifeguard tablets.. Should that work on columnaris???